Bird Song
by justaclassicgirl
Summary: What went through both Hermione and Harry's heads after Ron and Lavender kissed. Set in 6th year. Written for the Florence and the Machine Challenge as posted by our little infinity.


This wasn't originally intended to be a Harmony fanfic, but my brain is just wired to write that way.

Oops.

~justaclassicgirl

* * *

Hermione clapped along with the rest of them and shouted just as loud as the rest of them. Gryffindor had won the Quidditch match, and the whole house was in an uproar. Ron was being applauded profusely, and she couldn't have been happier for him.

She loved to see him so HAPPY, like everything was right with the world.

Probably because she loved him.

Love.

A bit extreme.

"Like" was a better word.

But whatever it was, she felt it now as she looked at him, filling her insides, threatening to spill over and show itself with her mouth and lips in what could not be a clearer declaration of this warm bubbly butterbeer-esque feeling.

A kiss.

If ever there were a time to do it, it would be now.

Something clicked inside Hermione's normally levelheaded mind, and she immediately decided to just go for it. So she advance forward slowly through the crowd, trying to get to Ron.

But then...

But then...

It happened.

All Hermione saw at first was a flash of blinding blonde cutting in front of her, pushing and shoving through the crowd.

Then she heard, "Excuse me, I'm trying to get to my Won-Won!"

Then she saw it.

She saw her.

She saw him.

She saw them.

Hermione stared as Ron's face lit up when he saw the girl, and watched as he grabbed her and pulled her into a kiss.

Not a kiss, no. That wasn't the right word.

A SNOGFEST.

The two of them, the only boy she ever loved and Lavender Brown, were snogging right in front of her.

Tears swam before Hermione's vision, clouding the sight of the party in front of her, and causing Ron and Lavender to look like one large, happy, snogging blob. She turned away as quickly as she could and began to force her way through the mass of celebrating Gryffindors, trying to get away.

She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to get away from

HIM.

Suddenly, Hermione found herself in a deserted corridor, a ways away from the common room and the clamor of the party. She plopped down on the bottom of the staircase leading to Gryffindor Tower and let her tears flow freely.

She was a fool to believe he could possibly love her. Not when Lavender was so much prettier than she. Not when she gave him everything he desired.

Not when Hermione wasn't Lavender.

Hermione picked up her wand and whispered "Avis" quietly. A few little green birds came out of her wand, and flitted about her head chirping cheerfully. She was vaguely aware of the footsteps coming closer, but simply kept her tearful eyes on the birds.

Oh, how Hermione hoped it wasn't Ron.

Lucky for her, it wasn't.

She turned her head to the side just enough to see who it was.

"Charms spell," she murmured, then gestured to the birds. "Just practicing."

"Well, they're really good," he said a bit awkwardly. She knew he wasn't used to these kinds of situations, but was thankful that he was there anyway.

"Harry..." she began softly, "Is-is this what it feels like?"

"Hm?" he said, caught off-guard.

"When you see Dean with Ginny."

"Oh." He pondered this, but found it hard to think about Ginny at the moment, for Hermione was just so...what was the word?

Stunning?

No. (But that too.)

Amazing?

No. (But that as well.)

Beautiful?

Quite possibly so.

Yes, he was distracted by her sheer beauty.

He had never felt this way before. Never.

Not about Ginny, nor Cho, no girl in the entire world.

And to be honest, it confused him.

He'd always thought it would be Cho, and then Ginny after that went through the roof. But never once had he considered Hermione as a possibility.

And now it scared him.

His best friend!

He didn't want to damage what they had now, a strictly platonic friendship. But then, he never had feelings for her before now.

So he just put his arm around her shoulder extremely awkwardly, so awkward it was painful, and pulled her a bit closer. She leaned into his side and let out loud hiccuping sobs, while the small green birds twittered about overhead the whole while.

Although Hermione was crying, a sort of peaceful aura was created that made Harry feel like everything was fine, and Hermione would be fine, and they would be together.

But the peace was not to last, unfortunately.

For just then, a door banged open, and out of it stumbled Lavender and Ron, laughing and giggling like mad.

Lavender turned then and saw them. "Ooops," she said, not sounding sorry at all, "I think this room's taken!"

And with that, Lavender ran off to find an empty classroom (probably for them to snog in, what else?).

Ron stayed behind, smiling widely at Harry, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Hermione was having a breakdown in his best friend's arms.

Over him.

"What's with the birds?" he asked a bit too cheerfully.

That set Hermione off.

She stood up quickly, sniffling a bit, aimed her wand at him, and shouted, "Oppugno!"

The birds gave a loud vengeful twitter and shot towards Ron, whose face promptly fell and changed to a look of pure terror as the birds got closer. Finally, he decided that the wise choice was to run.

And run he did.

He ducked behind a wall, and heard the sound of the birds' beaks getting stuck in the wall behind him. It sounded very much like darts hitting a dartboard.

His face a picture of pure horror and surprise, he darted off after Lavender.

Hermione slumped down to the floor next to Harry and cried, her sobs mounting in ferocity as he gathered her up in his arms and rocked her back and forth. He knew that he would have to face his feelings for her at some point, and hopefully some point soon, but for now, all he could do was do his best to comfort her.

As she cried over another boy.


End file.
